Multiple-room expansible house trailer



Oct. 19, 1954 J. VAN TASSEL 2,692,161

MULTIPLE-ROOM EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER Filed March 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. W J70! J66 fez/11w BY I M Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE-ROOM EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER Application March 3, 1951, Serial No. 213,725

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to expansible vehicles, and particularly relates to an automobile trailer providing housing accommodations.

Although house trailers, as such vehicles are usually called, have developed in size and in the luxury and completeness of their fittings and accommodations to an extent undreamed of only a few years ago, they still suffer numerous limitations imposed by their vehicular origin and occasional vehicular use. Most of their existence is spent in stationary condition in trailer camps, yet their size is regulated and limited by ordinances governing the use of highways. Rarely is wind resistance a factor of practical importance, yet their designs are streamlined to the complete elimination of exterior architectural features which go so far to make a house a charming home. Though used extensively in Warm climates, there is no privacy beyond their walls, no provh sion for that out-of-door living which should be one of their main attributes and advantages.

It is an object of this invention to provide a house trailer which is compactible to conform to highway regulations and which is expansiblc to provide more commodious living quarters when it is parked.

A further object of my invention is to provide an expansible trailer of improved architecture which affords its occupants the privacy of separate wings for sleeping quarters or other indoor uses and a partially enclosed out-of-door living space.

Another object of my invention is to provide a house trailer having expansible wings which form a patio when expanded and which divide the main or fixed portion of the trailer into convenient living divisions when compacted thereinto, and which then brace and balance the trailer for road travel.

In my Patent No. 2,519,517, issued August 22, 1950, I have described an expansible trailer having a floor level below the tops of the supporting wheels, which is desirable not only for stability in road-travel but for ease of entrance when parked, in which certain sections of the floor were movable to provide for relative movement of the wheels and the floor of the movable body section. Also in my co-pending application Serial No. 133,293, filed December 16, 1949, now Patent No. 2,636,773, I have disclosed a movable body section having a floor which swings upwardly as a unit, thereby again not conflicting with the wheels during relative movement as a sliding floor would conflict. However, a floor which is permanently and completely sealed to its surrounding wall sills has advantages in excluding dirt and cold, and also provides greater rigidity and strength to the whole structure. While it is not my intention to confine my present invention to a structure having permanently sealed floors, as the floor described in my above-cited application could be used if desired, it is a further object of my invention to provide an expansible trailer so constructed that the floors of both the fixed and the movable portion may be permanently sealed to their respective sills if it be so desired, and yet afiording the great advantage of having all the floors disposed well below the wheel-tops.

Other useful features and advantages of my invention will be pointed out as the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention proceeds, or will be apparent from that description when considered with the accompanying drawings illustrative thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a trailer according to my invention, showing the trailer fully expanded, to provide a patio;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view showing the trailer partly expanded, to provide an L and a court sheltered on two sides;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the trailer in compacted position;

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are floor plan views of the trailer in the positions of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the line '!l of Fig. 6, and on a slightly enlarged scale.

Having reference now to the details of the drawings, I have shown a house trailer having a main body it) mounted fixedly upon a chassis indicated by wheels I l and drawbar 12, the wheels H being disposed substantially midway between the ends of the trailer, as is customary with long vehicles of this type and comprising either one or two pairs, two pairs being shown. Movable wings or Ls l4 and [5 are arranged to telescope into the forward and rearward ends of the body It from one side, and preferably the same side thereof so as to form with the body It, when withdrawn or extended therefrom, three sides of a patio Mi. Each of the movable wings has a roof ll, a floor it, an end wall IS, a wall 20 facing on the patio, and an opposite wall 2 I. One

of the wings, for example, the rearward wing l5 if that is to be used as a bedroom, preferably has an interior wall 22 juxtaposed to the body space into which the wing is compactible; the other wing may be left open on its inner side to provide a large unified living room when extended.

The floors I8 are preferably sealed to the sills of the walls I9, 20 and 2|,although they may be upwardly swingable about one margin as shown in my above-cited patent application Serial No. 133,293, in which case the wings may suitably be supported when extended by foldable cantilevers as also'shown: m that application. If the floors are permanently secured and sealed tothe wall sills, the wings may be extensible on and supported by extension rails as shown in my above.- cited Patent No. 2,519,517. The force. necessary to move the wings between compacted and ex.- panded positions may be exerted through any of the known appliances therefor, and suitable loching devices may also be obtained from the known art. As herein illustrated in Figs. 1 and '2, the wings I4 and I5 are supported, when expanded by jacks 24.

The main body II] has a roof 25 overlying the roofs II, a floor 26 underlying the floors I8, end walls; 21: outwardly encompassing the endv walls 21,. a side: wall portion 28 between the wings. I4 and t5, and. a full side wall 29 opposite the portion; 28: The; side walls 28 and 29 will ordinarily be. disposed outwardly from the vertical plane of the: wheels I I, to: afliord. the greatest possible: body width, and as: it. is desired. to have the floor 2Z6 below the upper rangev of movement of. the wheels, the floor has openings 30; through which the tops of. the wheels. may extend. Within the body Ill and above the wheels II- are wheel boxes 3I. (see 7:) to enclose the upper portions of the wheels and permit. the floor 216- to. be disposed CQJILVBID- iently and safety close to ground-level. Utility structures 32 surmount. and conceal the wheel boxes. 3st, and may comprise any of the usual houses-keeping facilities such as kitchen, toilet, refrigerator, and storage space. The structures 32 define! between them a passage 33 between a forward room 34', into which the. wing I4 is telescopically movable, and arearward: room 35 into which the wing t5. is movable.

The wings I4 and I5. have doorways 40 and doors @I in their juxtaposed patio. walls 211,. so placed that when the wings are compacted into the main body Iii! thedoorways 4Elwill be opposite the ends of the passage. 33. Thus, when the trailer is compacted. as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, it is divisible into three units, namely, the rooms 34 and 35 and the utility space. 32:-&3', each separable from the others by one or more doors and: thus affording indoorprivacy. When only one of the wings is extended, as in.liigs'..2- and 4, one large; room is formed if wing: I5 is extended itmay be: two small rooms) open to the: passage 33s,. with a small'. room at the other end. of the trailer which maybe closed 0E. from the passage. When bothwings are extended, as: in Figs; 1; and 3;, the. maimbody Iz0- will be openfromend to. end, but by provision of; theinterior wall 22-, one of the. wings may be closed ofi as a bedroom.

' With. both of: the wings extended, the: patio II'B may: be entered from either wing. An awning 42- may easily be mounted between the extended wings in hotweather. Onthe-other hand, in cold weather, if the trailer is compacted, itwill have double walls, double-roofs, and double floors for a; great party of its exposed area, for better. ins sulation and the comtortof its occupants. As no-moving offloor portionsisnecessaryto permit movement of the wings. relatively to. the: wheel boxes 3-I, there need. be no trap-door. floors to admitdirt or cold. This.doublethicknessofcom struction; will, of. course,, always obtain during road travel, to strengthen the trailer and afford better protection in the event of collision.

The construction presents further advantages in fenestration. Windows and other doors than the doors 4| may be placed as desired, but certain placements will follow more or less naturally. For example, as another door wilt be required for entrance andexit when the trailer is compacted and the doors 4I become interior doors, such a door 44 may suitably be placed in the side wall. 29 opening into the forward room 34. In this position, as the wing I4 has no interior wall, the door 44 will open directly into the room 34 whether the trailer is compacted or expanded. If; the wing I5 is provided with an interior wall 22, a door 4.5 is desirable therein. A window 46 may be placed in the side wall 29 directly opposite the door 45, and if the latter has a glass panel, the window -'=46 will still admit light, as a double window, when the wing is compacted. other windows 41 in the main body II) will be located with. reference to: windows 48 in the wings I4 and I5 so that vision: through double windows is permitted. during road travel.

It. is to: be; understood that much or". the: foregoing description is offered as: guidance in. the construction: of: atrailser embodying the principles of my invention, and. that suchconstruction may be varied. without departure from the spirit of the invention insofar as it does not depart from the. scope of the appended claim, which more precisely sets forth the points of. novelty which I desire to claim.

I claim:

In a vehicle of the class described, having a chassis, a. housing body mounted. on said: chassis, and wheels on. said. chassis: disposed. inwardly from the sidewalls ofjsaid body andzatlsubstantial distances from the endwalls of. said body so as to provide.- room space entirely forward. of said wheels and additional room space entirely rear.- ward' of said wheels: a floor for said body disposed below therupper-range of movement of said wheels and; having openings" through which said wheels may extend" upwardly ofi saidi floor"; structures surmounting said openings and: defining; a passageibetweerr said. room spaces; and a housing wing; extensible to one side of said: body and telescopically movable into one of said. room spaces, said wing: having four. walls and; a floor supported? by said. walls; when said wing is extended; one of said walls being juxtapcsedto one endv of said; passage-defining structures when said; wing iscompacted: and having a door which is an: exterior d'oor when. said. wing. is extended and which admits: to said passagewhen said wing is compacted; that. one of said: walls juxtaposed to said one room space having a. door providing passage between said one room space and said wing..

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,986,984: Eollett .Nov. 28,1922 2,469,752 'I homas. May 10, 1949 2,581,192 La Fleur Jan. 1, 1952 2,,60ii3051 Johnson.. Aug. 5, 1952 F'iDREl'GN PATENTS 1 Number Country Date 8231,42? France Oct; 18, 1937 

